


Confessions

by justanoutlaw



Series: Confessions [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Marriage of Convenience, Slow Burn, switched at birth - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-05 14:42:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13390020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: They say first comes love, then comes marriage, followed by the baby. For Regina and Robin, things go backwards.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is short and I promise the next chapter will give you more background on both of their lives.

Regina had never been one to rush into anything. Every single bit of her life had been planned to a t. As soon as she was established with a job, she had Henry via a sperm donor. 8 years later, she did the same thing after thinking it over clearly, discussing it with Henry and even consulting a specialist. 3 year old Evie was the newest light of their lives. Even her career as an event planner had been carefully executed.

 

Yet, there she stood, by a man she had known for 2 weeks in a court house. In front of them was an officiant, prattling on about something she could barely hear. Regina looked up at Robin, still a practical stranger.

 

“Do you, Regina Mills take Robin Locksley as your lawfully wedded husband?” The officiant asked.

Regina took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “I do.”

 

How had she ended up there? A letter from her mother.

 

Cora Mills had passed away two years prior and Regina had thought she had handled her feelings on the matter. Her mother had never been a loving woman or a warm one. Her childhood was a strict one, never living up to Cora’s unrealistic expectations. She had drifted apart from her after college, only reconnecting when she had Henry. For all her faults, Cora did seem to love her grandson. She spoiled him and seemed to treat him with a light that she never bestowed upon Regina. They weren’t close, but she was present. She helped Regina with him, she’d babysit when the time called for it.

 

After Evie’s birth, however, things seemed to go back to how they were before. Cora distanced herself and Regina wasn’t surprised. For 8 years, she had waited for the shoe to drop and it finally had. She didn’t know if it was because she had used yet another sperm donor to get pregnant or if it was because she was still unmarried. All that mattered was that Cora kept her distance once again, until her death a little after her granddaughter’s first birthday.

 

Regina received a small inheritance, the house and other possessions went to Cora’s sister. Regina didn’t care, she just felt guilty because she felt relief. Her life without Cora was less stressful, she felt more accepted and oddly, more loved.

 

And then the letter had to surface, one that would change her entire life in an instant.

 

_Regina,_

_I have always done what I thought was best for you, even if you couldn’t see it at the time. You always seemed to resent me and pushed me away. When you had Evie, both of you had complications. They were trying to save you from the C-Section and for a moment, they were worried about Evie as well. She was 2 weeks early and was having some medical issues. I knew that you couldn’t be burdened with a child who could possibly spend her life needing constant medical care, so I once again stepped in and did what I needed to do._

_You always said that love is not connected to DNA, so this shouldn’t change anything. I just feel that as a mother, you have the right to know. Within minutes of your baby being born, another little girl was as well. The mother sent the baby to the nursery right away and I switched the bracelets._

_Evie is your daughter, however she is not the child that you gave birth to._


	2. Two Choices

A week and a half earlier...

 

Robin’s time management skills had begun when he was a homeless teenager, living on the streets. He only had so much time to steal what he needed, to shower when he found one and to sleep before he was booted out of the park.

 

Those all paid off as a father. With one child in pre-school, the other at another school across town, he had delegate carefully. Mornings especially.

 

“Roland, come on, we’re going to be late,” he called up the stairs. /p>

“Coming, Daddy!”

 

Robin turned to his daughter, kneeling down to her height. Bryony grinned up at him, the tiny dimples in her cheeks showing. He smiled in return, tucking a strand of her raven black hair behind her ear. He adjusted her hearing aid and she gave him a thumbs up.

 

“That’s my good girl. Go sit down, I’ll get you some toast in a minute.”

 

Bryony nodded and headed off to the table. He watched after her, a tiny sigh escaping his lips. It was hard to not be worried about her starting school. It was the best in town and had amazing aides to help with her hearing. Even so, he had been her main caregiver over the past 3 years. It was hard to let go.

 

She had been born with reduced hearing in her left ear. With the help of her hearing aid, she managed to get along just fine. She was a strong kid, playful.

 

The past three years had been a roller coaster of doctor’s appointments, late nights and lots of tears (on everyone’s end), but Robin wouldn’t change a moment of it. Even if things began on shaky ground.

 

When Zelena found out that she was pregnant, it was a shock to say the least. Four years after Marian’s passing, he thought he was ready to move on. John set him up with a woman he worked with and from their first few dates, Robin knew she wasn’t a soulmate. After a month of dating, he realized she’d probably never be the woman he’d take home to Roland, so he broke it off.

 

9 months later, he got a call from the hospital. Zelena had just given birth and left the hospital not long after, leaving their baby behind. She had listed him as the father and when he showed off, he knew there was something off. While most babies were born with blue eyes, Bryony had deep brown ones, almost matching Roland’s. She had lots of dark hair and if she had been born by his first wife, he wouldn’t have questioned it.

 

Zelena was a redhead, he had light brown hair. Both had blue eyes, varying in shades. He knew deep in his heart that there was no way that the baby could be his.

 

But when Robin looked down at her, he felt a tug to his heart. This baby needed a home. If he told the hospital the truth, she’d most likely end up in a foster home. He had been in his share of those after his parents died, until he ran away. There was no way that he could leave her to have the same fate.

 

That was the day that Robin became a father of two. Bryony Kate Locksley entered their family and their lives would never be the same. Zelena hadn’t been heard from since the day they met with their lawyers and things had been happy, calm.

 

Little did he know in a few days time, his entire world would be turned upside down.

 

But again, he still had a few days.

 

“Daddy, am I going to like pre-school?” Bryony asked when he set down breakfast for her and Roland.

Robin smiled. “Well, of course you will. We went on the tour, remember?”

“But what if I don’t like it? Can I come back to the bar?”

“Can I come to the bar if I don’t like 1st grade?” Roland piped up.

Robin sighed, settling down at the table. “Guys, you’re going to love school. Roland, you went last year and had so much fun, some of your friends will be in your class again. And Bry, you’ve been talking non-stop about pre-school for weeks. You’re going to have fun. I promise.”

 

Both of his kids smiled and he matched it in return. He worked hard to make sure his kids didn’t have a lot to stress over in life. He helped them through figuring out their lives without their mothers, he made sure they had time for fun and had structure. When he was younger, routine had always been important and it still was to that day. There were no time for surprises.

 

Little did he know, across town, there was something that would be throwing him for a loop.

* * *

Regina’s words crossed over the letter, once, twice and then a third time. Her eyes flickered to the polaroid attached to it, of the other bracelet.

 

Baby Girl Greene-Locksley.

 

She didn’t remember much of the day Evie had been born. She had been on bedrest with preeclampsia and her blood pressure spiked way too high. They did an emergency C-Section and from what the doctors told her afterwards, it hadn’t looked good. She and the baby were both lucky to be alive. They had suspected that there were some complications early on, but Evie passed all the tests.

 

Now, she knew why.

 

Her mind was spinning, she felt like she was going to throw up, again.

 

How could her mother do this to her? She knew that she had a plan, a need for order…but to go so far.

 

It was one last way to manipulate her life, one last way to screw everything up.

 

But this didn’t just screw her up, it would affect her daughter.

 

Or daughters.

 

“Mommy?”

 

Regina’s head snapped up and she saw her daughter standing there. Her big blue eyes met hers, frowning.

 

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, sweetie. Can you go back upstairs to play?”

“I don’t wanna.”

“If you do, we can make apple turnovers for dessert.”

 

A huge smile fell across Evie’s face and Regina felt a pang in her heart. This was the baby she had held in her arms after that fateful day. The one she had stayed up with throughout the nights, witnessed her first steps and heard her first words.

 

This was her baby girl.

 

Could she really jeopardize losing her?

 

A part of her realized that she shouldn’t be surprised as she was. When she went back to the sperm bank, she had requested the same donor she used for Henry. She had just always assumed there was a mix up.

 

Evie was so fair, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She didn’t resemble Regina in the slightest, outside her stubborn attitude and love for apples. Yet, it never seemed off to her. The sperm donor’s profile described the father as being dark hair and matching eyes. There was no way that a child mixed with her features could turn out so fair. There had to have been a mix up with the samples. In the end, it was no big deal in her mind.

 

Except now it was.

 

She had other parents out there, another family.

 

A family that could take her away from Regina.

 

And yet…Regina had another child out there. One she had carried in her stomach for 9 long months. One she had felt tiny kicks with and told stories to.

 

Tears poured down her cheeks once Evie was out of the room. She had two choices.

 

In the one, she’d find the daughter she gave birth to. She could get to know her, get to talk to the parents. They could possibly try to get custody, take Evie away from her. Perhaps they’d end up with both girls or want to switch. She didn’t know these people. She didn’t know what kind of power that they held.

 

In the other, she could burn the letter, pretend like it never happened. She could go upstairs, spend her day off playing dolls with her daughter. They’d pick up Henry after school and there’d be the barrage of homework, getting dinner ready and of course…the apple turnovers.

 

But was that fair to her other child? Or to the…the biological parents of Evie? Didn’t they also deserve to know?

 

It was too big of a decision to make on her own. There was only one person who could help her with it. With shaky fingers, she quickly dialed.

 

10 minutes later, the door opened and she could hear rushed heels clicking across the floor. A moment later, Maleah “Mal” Drake was in her living room. The two had been best friends since college, when Regina briefly attended law school before deciding to go down another route. They had gotten each other through good times and bad, she was both of her children’s godmother.

 

“Let me see this letter.”

 

Always straight to the point. Regina shakily handed over the letter and picture. Mal read it twice, checking over the picture. She slowly sat next to Regina, putting a hand on her back.

 

“Holy crap,” she whispered.

“You could say that again.” Regina rubbed her red, throbbing eyes. “What am I going to do?”

“Well, as a lawyer, I’d advise you to obtain my services and use me to contact the other parents.”

“And as my friend?”

Mal sighed. “I’d tell you that you have options.”

“So, I wouldn’t get in trouble if I didn’t tell them?”

“Legally, no. They could sue you at one point, but whether or not they’d have a case is beside the point. The real question is, can you live your life knowing that you have a child out there?”

 

Regina paused, reflecting over her words. She had just found out that she existed and had the yearning to know where she was. Evie was safe upstairs, well fed and taken care of.

 

Where was her other little girl?

 

“Do you still have connections to that P.I?” Regina asked. “I just have the baby’s last name and birth date…”

“It’d be enough.”

 

She knew what she had to do, but at the very least she had to know what she was walking into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Regina and Robin come face to face.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Please tell me what you think and what you'd like to see.


	3. Where Do We Go From Here?

Her name was Bryony Kate Locksley and she was beautiful.

 

Regina held the picture Sidney had taken beside one of her when she was around the same age. Bryony had dark brown locks and matching eyes. She was seemingly always smiling, wearing brightly colored, mismatched outfits. Her heart ached as she imagined what she must have looked like as a baby, how much would she have resembled Henry?

 

Then there were the parents. The mother, Zelena Greene, had taken off when Bryony was a baby. She was a dancer, clearly someone who couldn’t be bothered to be a parent. She hadn’t seen Bryony since she left and apparently had given full custody to the father.

 

Robin Locksley was the owner of Aesop’s Tables, the bar downtown. He had one older child from a previous marriage and was single. From the pictures that Sidney had managed to take from afar, he seemed to be very handsome and Regina bit her lip when she saw bits of him that she recognized in Evie. From the blue eyes to the such fair complexion.

 

Born and raised in England, he was a good man. No criminal record, an upstanding citizen. From spying on his Facebook, she realized that his life was devoted to his bar and the kids. If she had to pick a man to raise her daughter…would he be it?

 

“You’re being crazy, you don’t even know him,” she muttered to herself.

 

Looks could be deceiving, she knew that much from Cora. To everyone, they had an ideal life. Behind closed doors, Regina would dream of being able to escape. Was her daughter living a similar life?  


Could she be subjecting the other to the same?

 

While Mal watched Evie and Henry was in school one afternoon, she made her way to Robin’s house. It was a comfy cottage far away from pretty much anything. Toys and bikes were scattered across the lawn, a tiny garden planted out front. It looked cozy. Regina’s own home had been purchased several years prior, when her business was booming. She had relaxed a lot since having kids, but she still tried to keep things in order.

 

The door opened and two children came running down the steps. Regina felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing Bryony, who was wearing mismatched rain boots (despite no bad weather in sight for weeks) and a bright pink t-shirt. Not far behind her was a little boy who was a few years older, she recognized him as Roland. He was such a cutie and in a way, she could see bits of Robin and Evie in him as well. Though, if she didn’t know any better, she would assume that he was the biological brother of Bryony. Was it possible that his biological mother had looked similar to her?

 

The children played outside for a while, fairly contently. Regina stayed parked across the street, slid down in the driver’s seat, trying not to make it obvious she was there. Losing track of time, she didn’t realize just how long her SUV was parked there. Soon, the door opened again and Robin came outside. He smiled down at the kids, but she noticed it didn’t match his eyes. Ruffling his son’s hair, he started walking out of the front yard and straight towards her car.

  
“Shit,” Regina mumbled. She fumbled for her keys, trying to turn them so she could zoom out of there, but Robin was knocking on her window a moment later. Her stomach sunk and she swallowed, trying to figure out what to say. Slowly, she rolled the window down.

“Can you explain why you’ve been watching my kids for the past hour?”

“I…um…well…”

 

Mal would tell her to let her handle things. She had said as soon as Regina was ready, she’d contact Robin for her. Before she could finish, he barreled on.

 

“And maybe you know why that town car has been following my family around the past few days? Are you with Zelena? Are you trying to get custody, because she’s been out of her life for three years…”

“I’m your daughter’s mother!”

 

Subtly had never been her strong suit. Robin paused, slowly raising an eyebrow.

 

“No, her mother is Zelena Greene.”

“There was a mix up, at the hospital. I brought home your biological child and you brought home mine.”

“You really expect me to believe this?”

“Your daughter was born on June 25th, 2014. This…this is her.” She reached into her pocket and removed her cell phone, showing a picture of Evie.

 

Robin paused, taking it in. If he could picture what his and Zelena’s child would look like, that would be it. But it wasn’t possible, how could it be?

 

“How do you know all this?”

“It’s a really long story.”

 

Robin bit his lip and looked behind at his children. Bryony looked up at him with her big eyes and he felt as though he was going to lose his balance. He always knew he wasn’t her biological father, but this didn’t seem possible. How could it be true?

 

“Roland!” He called out and his son looked up at him. “Mary Margaret said that you and Bry could drop by to play with Neal, why don’t you run over?”

 

He happily agreed, looking for any chance to play with his best friends. Once both kids were walking to the house next door, Robin turned back to the car.

 

“Come inside. That should buy us some time.”

 

Regina nodded, quickly texting Mal and asking her to pick up Henry from school.

* * *

The inside of Robin’s house was just as cozy as the outside. The walls were painted a soft yellow and there were even more toys scattered about. Robin kicked aside a stray stuffed animal on his path to the kitchen. He carefully poured out two glasses of water, trying to stop his hands from shaking.

 

“What’s your name?” He asked, softly.

“Regina, Regina Mills.”

Robin slowly nodded. “I suppose you know mine.”

“I hired a private investigator… I just wanted to make sure that she was okay. I needed to know what I was walking into.”

“Walking into?” He handed over her glass and they settled down at the table.

“I knew it could go a number of ways.”

“Just…explain.”

“My mother,” Regina clamped her eyes shut, trying not to get angry all over again. “She could never accept things less than perfect. We had a falling out when I was young, but when I had my first child, we reconnected. I had my daughter and she disappeared, dying not long after. Recently, I got a letter from her estate.”

 

She pulled it from her purse, pushing it forward with the polaroid of Bryony’s bracelet. He looked it over, anger creasing his features.

 

“How could she do this?”

“I am so sorry. I had nothing to do with it, I swear. I had a complicated labor, I didn’t even get to hold Evie until hours after she was born.”

“Your mother is a psychotic bitch.”

Regina didn’t even flinch. “She was.” Realization washed over her. “So you…believe me?”

He sighed, rubbing his eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. “The first time I held Bryony, I knew there was a big possibility that she wasn’t mine. Zelena and I were only together a month, Bryony looked nothing like either of us. I just always assumed that she had a different biological father, but Zelena insisted it was me. I guess…this is the only reasonable solution.”

 

Robin moved his hands from his eyes and took Regina in. She looked as awful as he felt, but beneath all the stress, he could see the beauty. Bryony had her eyes and her hair. Even the shape of her nose matched. It was as if all of the questions that he had over the years were answered in under 5 minutes.

 

“Your husband,” Robin continued. “Where is he?”

“Oh…I’m not married.” She smiled a bit off his confusion. “I had my children via an anonymous sperm donor. I just always knew I wanted to be a mom, I didn’t want to wait for the right man to come along.”

“That’s very brave of you. Single parenthood just fell upon me, I don’t think I could’ve made the choice.”

“Sometimes I think I’m crazy for it.” Regina couldn’t help but laugh. “But at the end of the day, I love Henry and Evie with everything in me.”

“Evie,” Robin repeated. “Is that her full name?”

“No, it’s Evangeline Faith Mills, Evie came from Henry. He thought her name was too stuffy for a baby.”

Robin smiled for the first time in days. “How old is he?”

“11. And your son?”

“7.”

“If you don’t mind me asking…what happened to his mother?”

“She passed away when he was born.”

“Oh, Robin…”

“We knew it was a possibility, but it was so low, so we continued on with the pregnancy anyway…it was rough.” He cleared his throat, trying to wipe the horrible memory from his mind. “Zelena was the first woman I was with after Marian.”

 

They sat there for a moment, sipping their water and staring at one another. Regina knew he needed time to process everything, she had a few days, for him it had just been 10 minutes. She knew no amount of apologies could make up for the mess they were in. 3 years of raising each other’s children and now their worlds were being turned upside down.

 

“How many people know?” He asked.

“My friend, Mal, she’s a lawyer. And then, her P.I.”

“So, you haven’t told your children?”

“God, no. I think my son suspects something’s up, but I’ve put on a brave face. I was thinking about consulting a therapist to figure out how to best explain the situation.” Robin nodded and she gnawed her lower lip. “What do you think you want to do?”

“Do?”

“About our situation?”

 

Robin’s mind flashed to Bryony, the little girl he had raised for 3 years. He knew that he didn’t share her blood, but that didn’t change the love he carried for her in his heart. He loved her just as much as he loved Roland. He couldn’t bare the thought of losing her, it was one of his fears while searching for her biological daughter so he could legally adopt her. He knew there was a chance that he could lose her and he couldn’t bare it.

 

At the same time, he had another daughter out there. A little girl that he had missed 3 years on. All the first steps, first words, every milestone for those years was gone. She had been with a seemingly nice woman, just in town, this entire time. How could he ignore the fact that she existed? That would hurt just as much as giving away Bryony.

 

“I need some time,” he whispered.

“Please just tell me what you’re thinking.” Regina’s words came out more desperate than she intended, but she was scared out of her mind. Was he considering taking her?

“I don’t know what to think. What I do know is that I’ve been raising this little girl for 3 years and I can’t imagine my life without her. But…I also have another daughter out there. And I can’t just pretend like this didn’t happen.”

“I feel the same way.”

“So…where do we go from here?”

“Consult a psychologist, see what they say. I’m sure my friend will have some advice, too.”

“And we just don’t tell the girls?”

“Not yet, they’re so young…let’s give it a few days before we turn their lives upside down.”

 

Oh, how both wished they had the same luxury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think and what you'd like to see happen. :)


	4. The Martyr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be Zelena's only appearance. She'll be mentioned a few more times, but I promise after this, she's gone.

Robin wasn’t sure if he was making a mistake when he texted Zelena to meet him for coffee. A part of him thought that she was a deadbeat, who couldn’t be bothered with the daughter she thought she gave birth to. What would change about the one she did? A larger voice inside of him, told him it was best she found out in the beginning. He wasn’t sure exactly how he was going to handle his other daughter, but he had a feeling that Regina could sue for custody. If it became a media circus, Zelena would catch wind and possibly try to use the fact that she never told him, against him.

 

So, wanting to be safe rather than sorry, he took his lunch a little early the day after meeting Regina and went to Granny’s Diner, which was just around the corner from Aesop’s. It was one of Roland and Bryony’s favorite places. The owner, Betty Lucas, was a stubborn older woman who insisted that everyone call her “Granny”. She ran the place with her daughter, Ruby, who was just as spunky and free spirited as she was. He loved going there before or after work for a cup of coffee, taking the kids as a special treat.

 

Today of all days, he wished it would just suck him under. Ruby left him to nurse a pretty big cup of coffee and he was tempted to ask for something stronger. He hadn’t had the stomach to eat since Regina broke the news. When Roland and Bryony returned from the Nolans, he tried to keep a brave face and go about their routine, but it was hard. He found himself sitting at the edge of Bryony’s bed, long after she fell asleep, reflecting over the past three years. He so badly wanted to get to know Evie, but not at the cost of losing his other little girl.

 

Regina seemed to be level headed and clearly worried about losing the child she had raised, so he knew perhaps his fears were unfounded. Still, he barely knew her. All he could find about her were a few social media profiles, which like his own, shared pictures of her children and her business. She was an event planner, a pretty successful one at that. She had even planned Mayor Fiona Black’s wedding, he knew what an affair that had been.

 

His thoughts were interrupted when the bell above the door dinged and he looked up, watching Zelena walk in. He could never deny that she was a beautiful woman, with her long red ringlets and sparkling blue eyes. She walked with a confidence about her and he knew from their brief time dating, it came from growing up in the foster system. Her mother had abandoned her as a child and she never knew her father.

 

Which is why it made it all the more mysterious as to why she would give up her own, but that was another matter.

 

Spotting Robin, Zelena walked over to the booth and slid across from him. She didn’t say much at first, just flagged down Ruby to order some tea and a salad. Robin ordered a muffin to keep up appearances, but he doubted he’d be able to down it. Once Ruby had delivered their order, Zelena took one sip of her tea and looked him in the eye.

 

“What is going on? Why did you call me here?”

 

Robin drew a deep breath and slowly let it out. He explained everything that Regina had told him, extending a copy of the letter she had faxed him. Zelena was silent the entire time, scanning it before looking him over and then reading it again.

 

“So, this…Regina, has been raising our child.”

Robin winced. He didn’t know how to refer to Evie. She was their child, there was no doubting it. But it didn’t change the fact that Bryony was as well. “Yes. She seems like a nice person, she runs an event planning business in town.”

“But she’s safe? Evie, it says her name is?”

Robin nodded. “She gave me a picture.” He extended it to her and Zelena looked it over, a faint smile crossing her lips.

“She looks like us.”

“Can I ask you something?” He waited for her nod. “Did you…did you hold her?”

“I’m not a monster, Robin,” she said, the bitterness seeping from her voice. It was a quality he hadn’t seen in her until their court date. She had always been sweet, a bit too sweet, before then. When he tried asking her why she didn’t even want partial custody or why she wouldn’t just admit he wasn’t the biological father, her madness shone through. “I held her. I knew before then that I wouldn’t be keeping her though, I wasn’t meant to be a mother. I don’t know how to be one.”

“But you didn’t hold her after you sent her to the nursery?”

Zelena shook her head. “To be honest, when you showed me a picture of Bryony at our mediation for custody, I was a bit surprised. She didn’t look at all like the baby I had held, but it had been a few months.” She shrugged. “I just assumed she grew into her looks. All newborns look laike.”

“And you’re sure, that I’m the biological father of the baby you carried? Now isn’t the time to lie, Zelena, Regina has the right to know.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve told you for 3 years, she’s yours. Or, I guess Evie is. I didn’t know why Bryony turned out with such dark features, I assumed maybe some side of my biological family carried it.”

Robin let out a deep breath, believing her words for the first time. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I guess part of whatever I plan on…depends on you.”

“Me?”

“If you plan on suing for custody or something.”

“Robin, I didn’t give up our child because she didn’t look like me. I never held Bryony, I never even met her.” Zelena sighed. “Look, I didn’t tell you I was pregnant in the beginning because I thought I could do it. Then, a little before she was born, I realized I couldn’t. I knew you had one child and would take care of ours, which you did. This doesn’t change because the baby I carried was given to another woman.”

 

Robin wasn’t sure how to take that answer. He wanted to be hurt and angry for the girls’ sake, over the fact that Zelena was missing out on two amazing little girls, but at the same time, it did make things easier. It wasn’t as if they’d lack for a mother. Bryony was already used to not having one and now she’d have Regina. He just feared for the day that Evie asked about her biological mother.

 

“What are you thinking about?” Zelena asked. “In terms of this other little girl?”

“I don’t know,” Robin admitted. “I don’t want to lose Bryony, but I also don’t want to give up on her.”

“You know, I never saw you as a weekend dad. You’re very dedicated to Roland, I couldn’t see you just seeing Evie occasionally.”

“And what am I supposed to tell her about you one day? When she asks?”

“Whatever you plan on telling Bryony. I’m sure I’ll be the monster who didn’t want them.”

 

And just like that, Sympathetic Zelena was gone and Martyr Zelena had reappeared. It took all he had to not roll his eyes. He reached into his pocket and threw down some money to cover the meal.

 

“I know you’ve relinquished your rights to Bryony, but now that all of this has come up, I’m sure that you’ll have to do the same for Evie.”

“Send me the papers and I’ll do what I have to. I’m only in town for another day or two, then I head back out to California.”

 

Robin didn’t say anything else, he simply walked out of the diner and headed back towards Aesop’s. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Zelena was right about one thing: he wasn’t a weekend dad. He had tried to convince her to at least have visitation with Bryony in the beginning, but even that was something he dreaded. He couldn’t imagine being separated from his kids like that. Sure, he already had from Evie for 3 years, but he hadn’t known. Now, he did.

 

How was he meant to keep going like she didn’t exist?

 

There were options, ones that assured that neither he nor Regina would have to miss another second. They could all move into together, as a roommate situation. But he knew deep down that it was a ridiculous idea. That would only confuse the girls, probably Roland too. He didn’t even know how Regina’s son would react to all of this.

 

And then there was another. One that would require them to live together, but make it a permanent arrangement. It was crazy. After his one failed attempt at a relationship post Marian, he swore he’d never do it again. But, how many people married fooling themselves into thinking they were in love? At least they could go into it knowing what it was: a way to give their girls their best chance at life. To the kids, they would all be one big happy family. He did care for Regina. She was beautiful and smart, clearly driven. He couldn’t imagine a better partner.

 

It was a crazy idea, one he needed to think on more. He and Regina had agreed to meet up that weekend to discuss things once again. He told himself he’d talk himself out of it by then.

 

Yet…Robin already knew that come Saturday afternoon, he’d be proposing to Regina Mills.

* * *

 

“Why have you been acting so weird?”

 

Regina looked up from her seating chart in shock at Henry’s words. It had been a fairly quiet afternoon once she picked him up from school. Evie had a playdate with Ashley Boyd’s daughter and Henry was supposed to be doing his homework. She was in the middle of trying to chart a course for the Quinceañera she was planning. She swore, the family had way too many divorces and people who couldn’t sit next to each other. Then again, could she really judge given her own crazy extended family tree?

 

“I haven’t been acting weird,” Regina lied.

Henry gave her a look. “I’m not a baby anymore, like Evie is. You can tell me whatever it is.”

 

The words stung her heart. He had been pulling the not a baby card anymore for a few years now and often, it was over things that made her roll his eyes. He wasn’t a baby, but she was still going to make sure he had a bedtime and knew where he was going with friends. This…however, was enough to make her realize that he was growing up. He wasn’t that little boy that tried to stay up all night waiting for Santa or who was scared of the seagulls at the beach.

 

This was the 11-year-old pre-teen who’s life was going to be disrupted by the news just as much as Evie was. As much as she and Robin had agreed to wait to tell anyone else until they figured stuff out, she knew she couldn’t wait any longer.

  
“Sit down, my sweet prince,” her nickname for him flowing out naturally. He sat beside her and she pushed aside all of the party preparations. “You remember your Grandma Cora?”

Henry nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, recently I got a letter from her estate. They were supposed to give it to me when she died, but there was a few mix-ups. In it, she confessed to doing something…something pretty bad.” She let out a deep breath. “I’m sure you remember when I was pregnant, I had to stay at the hospital?”

“Uh huh.” His face paled at the memory and she squeezed his hand. He had been so excited about getting a baby sibling and all of that washed away when he saw his mom hooked up to monitors. Even though she explained they were there to help him and his baby sister, he was still clearly terrified. “That was terrible.”

“It was. And when I gave birth, there were some more complications and so, I couldn’t see your sister right away. Cora did, though. She overheard the doctors that the baby might be sick and she…she didn’t like that. Not for the reasons that you or I would be sad, though. She thought it would be too hard for me to care for her. So, when the baby was in the nursery while I was recovering, she switched the hospital bracelets.”

Henry’s eyes widened and he seemed to click on faster than she thought he would. “You mean Grandma switched my sister with another baby?”

Regina nodded, realizing that the plot sounded stripped straight out of a soap opera, one they had probably watched together when he was younger and home sick. “Yes. I didn’t find out until earlier this week and I’ve found the child, your other sister. I know this is shocking, but this doesn’t change that Evie is a part of our family.”

“Of course not. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t have our blood, she’s still family.”

She smiled softly, despite the situation and touched his chin. He really was a sweet boy. “That’s right.”

“But…what about my other sister?”

 

Regina reached into her purse and pulled out her favorite picture of Bryony that Sidney had taken, pushing it closer. Henry accepted it and smiled a little.

  
“She looks like you.”

“Her name is Bryony Kate Locksley. Her dad’s name is Robin and she has an older brother, Roland. Robin and I have been trying to figure out what to do?”

“You mean, she’s not going to come live with us?”

“It’s not that simple, Henry,” she explained, gently. “She has another family. Just like we wouldn’t want anyone taking Evie from us, we can’t disrupt that.”

“So…what happens now?”

“I don’t know,” Regina admitted. “Robin and I just talked about it all yesterday. We agreed to wait a few days and let everything soak in.”

“What do _you_ want to happen?’

 

Regina didn’t respond right away. In an ideal world, she wouldn’t have to miss another moment of Bryony’s life. They’d be able to raise the girls together, under one roof. But alas, that was just a fantasy and not a realistic one in her mind. Instead, they would probably find a custody schedule. One that meant she’d be away from both girls for periods of time. The thought alone made her heart ache. She had avoided marriage because she knew after losing her first love, she’d never find another like that. She didn’t want to marry and end in a messy divorce, sharing kids and losing out on huge milestones.

 

Yet, what other choice did she have?

 

What other choice had Cora left her with?  


“I want what’s best for your sisters,” Regina said, finally. “And I guess Robin and I will have to figure that out together. Just know one thing, we are still a family. I love you and your sister more than anything in this world and nothing will ever change that.”

He nodded. “I know. I love you too, Mom.”

She kissed his forehead. “Do me a favor and don’t mention this to Evie? I’m trying to get in contact with Mary Margaret’s friend, Dr. Hopper, to see how he thinks we should bring it up.”

“Of course.”

“Do you have any other questions?”

“I think I just need some space.”

 

She nodded and watched him walk up the stairs, letting out a deep breath. That had gone well, but she knew no matter what happened on Saturday, all of their lives were going to change. Who knew if he’d stay so understanding? Who knew how Evie would take it? She was still so little.

 

“Congratulations, Mother,” Regina whispered, bitterly. “I thought I was free of you when you died, but I never will be, will I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please tell me what you think and what you'd like to see happen. :)


	5. The Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on an anonymous prompt I received on Tumblr: Confessions: "Thank you for raising my baby."

Regina finished tucking Evie into bed and kissed the top of her head. She was putting her to bed a bit early that night, but she just didn’t want her to be awake when Robin came by. She didn’t know what he had decided on. If he said he wanted to sue for custody of both girls, there was no way that she’d be exposing Evie to that until the last possible second. She still had no idea that anything was up, Henry had kept good on his end of things.

 

She had her research all laid out. According to Dr. Hopper, it would be best for the girls to get to know their biological parents and start the bonding process right away. There is a bond that children form with their parents after their born and that was something she didn’t have with Bryony, it’d take time to build. He also said it’d be best if they got to know each other, just as much as their biological siblings. They were sisters now, and once again, that bond wasn’t there.

 

So, she had devised what she thought would be a fair custody plan. They’d make sure that the girls saw each other most days of the week, then alternate weekends. Maybe they could all go on a trip together to bond as a blended family.

 

It wasn’t what she wanted. She couldn’t imagine being without Evie for two weekends out of the month, same as she was sure she’d feel once she got to spend any time with Bryony. But, it was what was best for the girls and she had to go on with it.

 

At 8 on the dot, her doorbell rang. Robin made his way into the mansion, looking around. “Nice place.”

“I know it’s not as relaxed as yours, but I like it.”

“Evie asleep?”

“Yeah. Henry’s doing some homework. I…told him.”

Robin smiled a little. “It’s fine, I assumed you would. He’s older than the others, it’d be a little hard to keep it from him.”

“Bryony and Roland don’t have any idea?”

“No. My business partner, Will, is keeping an eye on them for me tonight. Both were asleep when I left.”

“Do you want some wine?”

“Please.”

 

Robin was nervous. He hadn’t even told Will about his plan, sure that he’d call him crazy for it. He had tried to talk himself out of it a few times, but every time he went to contact a lawyer to draw up another custody plan, he stopped. This was what was best for the girls, it had to be.

 

They settled at the kitchen table, the glasses sitting in front of them. “Thank you, for raising my baby,” Regina whispered.

Robin smiled a bit. “Thank you, too.”

“I know this can’t have been easy, but you’ve complied with me and that’s all I can ask for at this point.”

“I just want to do what’s best for the girls.”

“Did you talk with Dr. Hopper?”

“Yes. And you?”

“I did. He said the best thing would be to start exposing the girls to their biological parents as soon as possible, as well as their siblings and each other.”

“He told me the same.” Robin bit his lip. “I told Zelena, by the way.”

Regina tilted her head, anxiety burning in the pit of her stomach. “You did?”

“I’m sorry, I just wanted her to hear it from me and not some lawyer when she had to sign over her rights to Evie.”

“I…I get it. What’d she say?”

“She doesn’t want anything to do with either of them, she’ll sign what she has to.”

 

Regina didn’t know if she should be happy about that or not. On the one hand, it made things less complicated. On the other, she was missing out on two amazing girls. She didn’t get how a mother could be like that.

 

“That’s another thing,” Regina said, finally. “I spoke with my lawyer friend and she said that we’d have to formally adopt the girls we’ve been raising, so that way we could go forward with any custody proceedings. I was thinking that we could get the girls together as much as possible during the week, then alternate weekends.” She searched his face for a sign of how he was feelings. “How does that sound to you?”

“I…I think that is fair.” He swallowed. “I just…I don’t think that’s what I want.”

She frowned. “What?” Her heart beat heavily in her chest. Was this when he sued for full custody? Or suggested they switch the girls?

“I don’t want to be separated from my daughter for any long period of time, but I also do want to get to know my other one.”

“I feel the same, but what else are we supposed to do?”

“I think it’d be best if the girls got to live with each other, their siblings and us, full time.”

“You’re suggesting we move into together?” Regina asked, cocking an eyebrow. She definitely hadn’t been expecting that. “Don’t you think that’d be a little confusing? They’d think we’re together.”

“Well…”

 

Regina studied his face again, trying to figure out if he was joking or not. Surely, that had to be a joke. Yet, all she saw was sincerity. She downed the rest of her wine and poured herself another glass. She was going to need something stronger for this conversation.

 

“You’re not suggesting what I think, are you?”

“I think we should get married.”

“Oh my God, you are. We just met! We barely know one another!”

“I know, I’m not suggesting that we pretend to be in love or anything of the sort. This is just a way for us to raise our children together, to make sure we get to see them every day and build that bond with them. Yet, we’d have the finality of being married, so they know that it’s not a temporary situation.”

“You want to live with me and my other child, just to get to know Evie?”

“And so you can know Bryony. Plus, think of it this way, it’d be a good thing for Roland and Henry. I doubt he’d see me as his dad, but I could be a male figure he could go to. You could be a female one for Roland.”

 

Regina frowned. Henry was getting older and she didn’t really have any men he could talk to. It didn’t used to bother her, but now it seemed to be important to Henry. He had said it was awkward talking to his friends’ dads about certain things. He could go to Robin…

 

No, this was crazy. She barely knew this man. She never wanted to get married after losing Daniel, not even to men that she thought she could love. She especially didn’t want to marry a man she didn’t know.

 

Yet, as crazy as it sounded…it was also one of the most ideal situations. They’d get to see the children they raised every day, while getting even more time to bond with the ones they had missed out on. Roland and Henry would also get to see their siblings on a consistent basis, while also having another positive role model to rely on.

 

“I feel crazy for even considering this,” she mumbled as she took another sip. “I mean, what would people say?”

“Probably that we’re nuts, but they’re not in this situation. Trust me, Regina, this isn’t something I’ve taken lightly. I just think it’s the best way for everyone to get what they want and what they deserve.”

 

She sighed, looking deep into his eyes. The truth was, she did feel an attraction to Robin. That didn’t mean it was love. Yet, maybe that was okay. So many people entered marriage thinking that they were in love and then fell apart when things didn’t work out. They’d be walking into the marriage knowing that it was merely one of convenience. There would be no living a lie, they’d simply be doing what was best for their families.

 

“What would we tell the children?”

“Well, I think the boys would understand. As for the girls, that you’re their mommy and I’m their daddy. Dr. Hopper can help us, help them adjust. I don’t know that they’ll fully understand the situation until they’re older.”

Regina slowly nodded. “I think we need to talk to them about it first. Eloping and just ambushing them would probably scar them for life.”

“True.” He paused. “Wait…are you agreeing to this?”

“Yes.” She smiled a bit. “Robin Locksley, I would love to be your wife.”

* * *

 

Much to Regina’s surprise, Henry seemed to be okay with the arrangement. He said as long as Robin didn’t expect to be called “Dad”, he thought it was what’s best for his sisters. He was even a little excited to be getting a little brother.

 

Regina was surprising herself at how at ease she found herself with the situation. Robin had assured her that he really didn’t expect anything from her. They seemed to agree on the same parenting philosophies and she had started reading up on raising a child with a hearing disability. She was feeling really good about things.

 

They decided to have all the kids meet that Monday. Robin’s car pulled into the driveway after school that day. Roland knew what was going on and while he didn’t understand it fully, he knew that he’d be having a new mother figure. There’d be no pressure to call her “mommy”, she was just someone that’d help take care of him and his sister, he’d have a new one as well and a big brother. He’d kept to his word about not telling Bryony yet, understanding that she was still so little.

 

Robin pressed the doorbell and Regina answered it. He studied her, trying to hold back his own attractions for the woman. Their marriage wasn’t about lust, it was for the kids, what was best for them. She gave him a quick smile and then her eyes went down to Bryony, tears filling them.

 

“Hey there sweetheart,” she whispered.

“Who are you?” Bryony asked.

“Bryony,” Robin gave her a look. “That’s not how we say hello.”

“She’s crying. Are you sad?”

Regina shook her head. “No, sweetheart. Not at all. It’s just…do you mind if I give you a hug?”

 

Bryony nodded and she knelt down to her level, wrapping her in her arms. It was the first time she ever got to hold her. She smelt sweet, like cinnamon and magic markers. She could see her hearing aid behind her ear and frowned a bit, but then just kissed her head. This was her baby girl, her heart ached for all the years they had spent without each other.

 

That didn’t matter anymore, they had each other now.

 

Eventually, Regina pulled away and looked at Roland. “And you must be Roland. I’m Regina.”

“Nice to meet you,” Roland smiled. “Are we gonna live here?” Robin gave him a gentle look, but luckily Bryony had missed his question, she was staring at some toys she could see from her spot at the door.

“Um, we’re going to talk about it, come inside.” Robin followed her inside and into the living room. “Evie, Henry, our guests are here.”

 

The little girl looked up, her eyes meeting Robin’s. He felt his heart drop in his chest as he took her in. She was so beautiful, she looked a little different than her pictures. It took all he had not to run, scoop her up in his arms and never let go.

 

“Evie, Henry, this is Robin, Roland and Bryony.”

Henry smiled and shook hands with Robin. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” His eyes stayed on Evie, which made the pre-teen laugh.

“He’s staring at me,” Evie said, looking over at her mom. “He’s not ‘posed to stare.”

Regina blushed, then picked her daughter up, sitting her down on the couch. “Henry, why don’t you show Roland your action figures upstairs?”

“Alright.” Henry put his arm around the young boy and lead him upstairs.

 

Robin noticed Bryony had started to play with some dolls and guided her over to the couch. He settled next to her, while Regina did the same with Evie. It took all they had to not just sit there and watch. These were their girls, together for the first time in 3 years. They had once been separated just by their bassinets, with no clue that one day, they’d be together again.

 

Robin suddenly realized that Cora had gotten to hold Evie when she was that small and anger boiled in his veins. He quickly had to tell himself to calm down, thinking about Cora was just going to give him a heart attack.

 

“Girls, we have some news,” Regina said, finally. “Robin and I…we’re going to get married.”

“Why?” Evie asked.

“Well…Robin is your daddy. So, I want to make sure that he can be there for you,” she said, reciting Dr. Hopper’s words very carefully.

“And Regina is your mommy, Bryony,” Robin explained. “This way, we can all be a family.”

“My mommy,” Bryony repeated. She studied Regina for a moment. “You’re my mommy?”

“Yes, sweetheart,” Regina said, smiling a little. “You don’t have to call me mommy, right now. You can if you want, but it’s okay if you don’t. That boy you saw here before, Henry, he’s your big brother.”

“And Roland is yours, Evie,” Robin said, but she refused to look over at him.

“Henry’s my brother,” she said.

“You have two brothers,” Regina told her. “Henry and Roland.”

“No,” Evie’s voice broke. She looked from her mom to the strange man that had entered her home. “No! I don’t want a Roland!”

“Evie,” she whispered.

“No! No! I don’t want a daddy! I don’t want a Roland!”

 

Tears welled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She kicked her tiny legs and pounded her fists on a throw pillow. Regina bit down on her lip, knowing she should’ve expected such a reaction. Evie was a mini-her in so many ways, she loved order and structure. She hated surprises, she never took them well. She should’ve realized that if surprising her daughter with ice cream caused a meltdown, so would something as big as this.

 

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Regina soothed, taking her into her arms. She rocked Evie, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I know this is a change, it’s okay if you’re scared or not okay with it now. It’s okay, it’s all so new and big. You cry as much as you need.”

 

Robin felt his heart ache as Evie screamed that she didn’t want him. Every time she shouted it, the more the pain increased. He knew he shouldn’t take it personally, it was such a big change. Even so, it stung that his daughter wanted nothing to do with him. He had been fooled by the other children’s reactions that she’d be okay with it.

 

“She’s crying, Daddy,” Bryony observed, frowning. “Why?”

“She’s just scared,” Robin managed to choke out.

“Oh. I have to go potty.”

Regina heard her and cuddled Evie closer. “Second door to the left.” She paused. “Robin, I…”

“It’s okay, she needs time.”

 

He lead Bryony around the corner and helped her get set up, though she soon kicked him out. Robin could hear Evie’s cries and sobs, each lead to another pang to his heart. The tears clouded up in his eyes and he tilted his head back, willing himself  not to cry. He had been looking forward to this moment for a week and his daughter wanted nothing to do with him. He knew she’d adjust, it’d take time.

 

So, why couldn’t he stop the tears from falling?

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...that didn't go how either of them expected. Poor Robin and Evie, huh?
> 
> As always, tell me what you think and what you'd like to see happen!


	6. Wedding Bells

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ties back into the prologue, their wedding day. I got all of the judge's words from a template online, haha.

Regina stood in front of her mirror, letting out a shaky breath. It was a few days after the kids had met them and now it was finally time for them to get married.

 

It was Regina’s wedding day…again.

 

She had tried to keep her mind off her very first wedding. It was supposed to be small, her and Daniel on the beach with a few friends. Regina waited and waited, but he never showed. She felt a sinking in feeling in her stomach as she paced around her tiny apartment. As the sun dipped in the sky, she knew something had to be off. She got the call by midnight that there had been a fire at his apartment, few survivors.

 

It was why she had gone into event planning, she wanted to make sure that no other bride had a wedding day like her own.

 

Robin had suggested a quiet affair at the courthouse. The kids would be there along with Mal and his friend, Will, for the witnesses. Regina blinked a few times upon thinking about the kids. Henry and Roland were still good with it, Bryony didn’t exactly get it and Evie…well…

 

It had taken her a full hour to calm down after she heard the news. Nothing Regina said helped her at all and eventually, she just passed out into her mother’s arms, her eyes red and puffy. Robin had left with Bryony and Roland, looking heartbroken, though he said he was okay. Regina knew it had to hurt, she would’ve felt the same if Bryony had reacted like that. Since that day, Evie hadn’t wanted to talk about it. She knew that Robin, Roland and Bryony were moving in, that they would be a family, but she had no interest in talking about it without crying.

 

Regina busied herself by playing with the dress she had selected. For her first wedding, she had splurged on a nice dress. Even though the ceremony was small, it was just a nice comfort to feel like a bride. After the wedding that never came, she had donated it to a charity that gave less advantaged girls prom dresses. This time around, she was going with something from the back of her closet, there was no time to go shopping. Between work, the kids and getting the house ready for the newest three occupants, she was lucky she remembered to eat and brush her teeth every morning.

 

The dress was simple, red with the tiniest slit in the front of it from the collar down to about mid chest. She knew red wasn’t exactly traditional for a bride, but she’d seen quite a few wear the color throughout the years, it’d be just fine.

 

Snapping out of her thoughts, she headed down the hall to do one last check over of the rooms. They weren’t even going to be having a reception, instead they opted for takeout back at home afterwards to make things easier. Movers had already brought by a majority of the Locksley’s things and they had consolidated toys in the playroom. The room arrangements had been the toughie.

 

Regina didn’t want to pressure Robin into sharing a bed with her, after all this marriage was nearly a business arrangement. However, if he took one of the guest bedrooms, it would mean either Bryony and Evie would have to share, or Henry and Roland would. Henry had no problem with doing so, but both Robin and Regina knew that having an 11-year-old room with a 6-year-old wasn’t exactly the fairest thing in the world when they barely knew each other. And with Evie’s apprehension (or denial) over the situation, thrusting Bryony into sharing a room with her would end in disaster.

 

So, Robin had just suggested that he and Regina share a bed. They were adults, there was nothing wrong with it. In the end, Regina agreed and the matter was settled. She had made room in her closet and the drawers, almost all of his clothing was in there. It was a pinch, but she had managed to get a decorator over to make Bryony and Roland feel more at home with their rooms. Roland had a forest theme with different animals as he loved, Bryony’s was colorful and bright with lots of mismatched things. She was so different from Evie, who’s room was a mix of pinks and whites.

 

“Mom?” Regina turned around to find Henry standing there, fiddling with the tie on his neck. “I can’t do this.”

 

She softly smiled, trying to not let the tears gather in her eyes. He looked so grown up to her, wearing his navy blue button down and black slacks. Her little prince was growing up faster than she’d like. Where was the little boy that was scared of the seagulls when they went to the beach?

 

“Of course, sweetheart.” She stepped forward and adjusted it for him quickly. “There we go.”

“You’re an expert at that.”

“I had practice,” she said as she checked it. “Daniel was terrible with his own.”

Henry smiled a little. “It’s kinda cool that I have his name for my middle one, just wish I could’ve met him.”

“Me too, my sweet prince, me too.” She kissed his forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“For the millionth time, yes. This is what’s best for Evie and Bryony. Plus, it’ll be good for me and Roland to get to know our little sisters and each other.”

She let out a deep breath. “I just wish I could help Evie feel better about it.”

“She will, in time. I mean, she even helped me pick out Bryony’s welcome to the family present.”

“You guys got her a present?”

“A little one, I got one for Roland too.”

 

Maybe it was the emotions of the day or the realization of how grown up her son was, but a few tears trickled down Regina’s cheeks. She swept him into her arms, squeezing him tight and kissing his cheek.

 

“Mom,” he complained.

“Oh hush. Still my favorite guy, you know that, right?”

“Of course. Now go get Evie, we’re going to be late.”

 

Regina headed down the hall and into her room. She sat on her bed with her legs crossed, wearing the pink dress she had picked out. Regina sat beside her, kissing her cheek.

  
“Ready to go?”

“Uh huh. Robin’s going to live here?” She watched her mom nod. “Why?”

“Because he’s your daddy.”

“Never been here.”

Regina bit her lip, it was hard to explain what had went on all those years ago to the girls. “He didn’t know about you, but now he does and he loves you so much, angel. You have no idea.”

Evie shrugged. “Still my mommy?”

“Oh, angel.” Regina cuddled her closer. “Of course I am, I’ll always be your mommy, no matter what.”

 

A tiny smile went across Evie’s face and she hugged her mother tighter. They stayed in each other’s embrace for a bit, before heading downstairs with Henry. The ride to the courthouse was quiet and when she arrived, she spotted a truck with the Aesop’s Tables logo on it. They got out together and crossed over to it. A man emerged with short hair and a crooked smile.

 

“You must be Regina,” he said, his British accent escaping. “I’m Will, Robin’s best friend and co-owner of Aesop’s.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” She held out her hand for a handshake, but he pulled her in for a hug.

“Will, don’t scare her now,” Robin tsked as he got Bryony out of her car seat. Roland ran straight to Henry, showing him a comic book he had snuck over. “She still hasn’t said I do.”

“From what I hear, it’s a sure thing,” Will pulled away with a twinkle in his eye. “This whole situation is insane, but it seems like something that would only happen to Robin.”

Regina stood there speechless, not exactly used to such energy. Robin shook his head and faced her. “Don’t pay him any mind.” He settled Bryony down and smiled. “You look beautiful.”

Blush tinted her cheeks as she took him in. He and Roland were wearing matching white button down shirts and khakis. He had cleaned up his facial hair for the occasion and smelled of some really great cologne. “Thank you, you look pretty handsome yourself.” Trying to keep it together, she looked down at Bryony. She was in a bright orange dress and lime green rainboots.

Robin caught her looking and rubbed the back of his neck. “I couldn’t exactly get her to wear anything else.”

“It’s fine,” she assured him. “I get how that goes. When Henry was 5, he refused to stop wearing his Spiderman costume for an entire week after Halloween.”

 

He laughed just as Mal’s Cadillac showed up. She got out of the car, looking as powerful as ever in pantsuit. Even Will straightened himself up a bit upon seeing her, which just made Regina laugh. Mal walked over to her, patting her hand.

 

“You ready for this?”

Regina nodded. “Yeah, come on guys.”

 

They walked inside and Mal lead them to one of her friends’ offices. He had cleared his schedule to fit them in and lead them to the room they used for such occasions. Upon realizing that her mother would be leaving her, Evie clambered up onto Mal’s lap while, Henry had no problem sitting with Will, Bryony and Roland nearby.

 

“We have gathered here to join Regina Mills and Robin Locksley in marriage,” the judge began. “Robin and Regina, today you celebrate one of life’s greatest moments and give recognition to the worth and beauties of love, as you join together in the vows of marriage.”

 

Robin’s eyes stayed on Regina as he thought back to his first wedding. It had been so big, all of their friends and Marian’s family in attendance. He had never felt happier before then and he felt like things would change for good. Now, he was opening his heart again. Even if their marriage was one of convivence, he was still about to share a life with Regina, to share a family. He was surprised about how happy that made him.

 

He had spent so long with his heart in pain and the truth was, there was a part of it that would always ache for Marian. She was his first love, his soulmate. Since losing her, he had his son (later, his daughter), yet there was a loneliness that no one had been able to fill. He’d be sharing a bed again, he’d have another adult to talk to, to make choices with. He was terrified, but also excited for what this meant for the future. Regina was beautiful, intelligent, she could do so much better than him.

 

Yet, she had said yes. For their children’s sake, but even so. He felt pretty damn lucky.

 

“Do you, Robin Locksley take Regina Mills as your lawfully wife?”

Robin nodded. “I do,” he said, softly with a smile. Regina matched it.

“Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all other and holding only unto her?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Regina Mills take Robin Locksley as your lawfully wedded husband?”

Regina took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I do,” she said, though her smile didn’t waver.

“Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all other and holding only unto him?”

“I do.”

“Now for the rings…”

 

Regina’s eyes widened. The rings. How could she have forgotten about the rings? Of course there hadn’t been an engagement one, that was fine. Yet, she hadn’t thought to get Robin one. Her mind had just been everywhere else.

 

“Don’t worry,” Robin interrupted her thoughts and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box. “I have it covered.”

“Robin…”

“What else are husbands for?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.

 

Her smile remained, but she still felt a pain of guilt for forgetting. She’d have to make it up to him somehow. The judge took the box and distributed the rings. They were simple, silver. Regina’s had a small ruby on it, that unintentionally matched her dress. Robin took Regina’s left hand and slid it onto her ring finger.

 

“I, Robin, take you, Regina, to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer. With this ring I thee wed.”

 

Regina’s hand was shaking as she slid Robin’s onto his own. She was feeling so attracted to him in that moment and it scared the shit out of her. That wasn’t what this was supposed to be. They were in this for the kids, nothing more.

 

“I, Regina, take you, Robin, to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer. With this ring I thee wed.”

The judge nodded at the two. “Regina and Robin, just as two very different threads woven in opposite directions can form a beautiful tapestry, so can your two lives merge together to form a very beautiful marriage. To make your marriage work will take love.”

 

The two stilled at that and looked back at Mal, who was biting on her lip. Clearly, she hadn’t explained to her friend exactly what this was. Despite this, the judge continued, clearly following some sort of script.

 

“Love should be the core of your marriage, love is the reason you are here. But it also will take trust- to know in your hearts you want the best for each other. It will take dedication- to stay open to one another; to learn and to grow together even when this is not always so easy to do.”

 

Robin and Regina’s eyes went back to one another, he felt his heart fluttering. They were strangers, they barely knew one another. Yet, here they were, promising to spend forever with one another. They would have to learn so much about each other and grow, mixing families and ideals. It was definitely going to be the furthest thing from easy.

 

“It will take faith, to be willing to go forward to tomorrow, never really knowing what tomorrow will bring. In addition, it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey, you both now pledge to share together.”

 

What would tomorrow bring? Would they fall in love? Would it forever stay platonic? How ridiculous was it, Robin wondered, that he was marrying a woman that he didn’t love. Care about? Of course. Want to do right by? Definitely. But he didn’t love Regina Mills and she didn’t love him. There was an attraction, but that didn’t equal love.

 

“Regina and Robin, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, I now declare you to be husband and wife.” He smiled at Robin. “Congratulations, you may now kiss your bride.”

 

Robin tilted his head, unsure of what Regina wanted to do. She nodded and shut her eyes, leaning in, so he did the same. Their lips brushed against one another’s and he felt a jolt to the system, something he hadn’t in years. Not even with Zelena had he felt such chemistry. No, this was something he had only shared with Marian and even that had been different.

 

Just as quickly as it began, it was over. Regina pulled away, her cheeks pink once again and he realized his own probably were as well.

 

“It brings me great joy to present, Mr. and Mrs. Locksley.”

 

Robin had to hide a chuckle when he saw the face Regina made. She obviously wasn’t about to change her name. Everyone was on their feet clapping, even Bryony and Evie, though they were moreso just copying everyone else.

 

They walked out together, their family and friends behind them. It was over, they were husband and wife. Just as the judge had said, now all they had to wait for was tomorrow.

 

After signing the documents and making everything legal, they walked out into the warm September sun. Will quickly moved Roland and Bryony’s car seats into Regina’s cars and gave his friend a hug, followed by his kids. Mal did the same with Regina and her own. The two knew that the family needed to start their lives together, so they headed off in separate directions.

 

“So…” Henry said after a few minutes of no one doing anything. “Can we eat now? I’m starving.”

Robin laughed, putting an arm around his new step-son. “I think that sounds like a good idea. I’ll call from the road.”

 

They all piled into Regina’s car, heading home. At first, nothing much felt different. They had dinner as a family, Evie went back to being quiet. The kids piled into the living room to watch a movie while their parents did the dishes. Robin was still trying to get his bearings, getting used to where everything was.

 

As the sun set and it got later, Henry headed up to his room to do some homework. Roland went down to bed pretty easily, loving his new room and Evie seemed happy that at least one part of her routine was being followed. Regina lingered in the doorway as Robin read Bryony one of her favorite books. She noticed that when he talked to her, he signed at the same time. It was so important to him that Bryony knew sign language and Regina was so desperate to learn. Even though her daughter could hear her okay for the most part, there were a few times she had missed what she said and Regina hated that. She wanted to have flawless communication.

 

Bryony looked up and saw Regina standing in the doorway. “Can Regina tuck me in too?” She asked, signing her words as well.

Robin nodded and smiled. “Of course.”

 

Regina walked in and gently laid Bryony down, pulling her blankets up over her. Bryony clung tightly to her white and purple bunny plushie, the nose was wearing off just a tad. Regina couldn’t help but smile at that, Evie had her own source of comfort (her duck lovey).

 

“Goodnight, Bry,” she said. “We’ll be down the hall if you need us.”

“Sweet dreams, Peanut,” Robin cooed, kissing her forehead. “Love you.”

 

As he did the sign, Regina did her best to copy it, even though Bryony’s eyes were drifting shut. Robin and Regina headed into the hall, shutting the door behind them.

 

“You’re doing well,” Robin assured her. “It just takes time.”

“When did you find out that she was deaf in that ear.”

“There were hearing tests at the hospital and she passed initially, but then they wanted to run them again. A few months later, I got the confirmation and just started reading up on how best to handle it. Now, she has tubes in her right one to help drain the fluid in them. The doctors don’t think she’ll lose hearing there.”

“And she gets services at school?”

“Yes. Speaking of which, it’s a really good school and I know you keep Evie with you…but maybe…”

“I think she’s ready for pre-school,” Regina agreed. “I think I’ve just been holding on a bit too tight.”

Robin smiled. “I can understand that.”

“I’m gonna go get out of these clothes and then go to bed, it’s been a long couple of days.”

 

Robin nodded and watched her go into the bedroom. He lingered outside the door that had the soft pink wooden letters that spelled out Evangeline. He slowly opened it and walked inside, the room illuminated by her ballerina nightlight. He carefully sat at the edge of the bed, watching Evie sleep.

 

She refused to step near him, kept at least Henry and Roland between them at dinner and during the movie. He understood, yet there was still a pang in his heart. He already loved her more than words could say and all he wanted was to cuddle her and never let go. They hadn’t even had a chance to hug yet.

 

He pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and noticed her duck lovey had fallen to the floor. He scooped it up and tucked it in her arms. She stirred a bit, yet didn’t wake.

 

“I love you, Evie,” he whispered. “More than you know.”

 

Quietly, he crept out of the room and made his way to his new one. It was simple, yet elegant. The bedding was a light yellow and it matched the walls, it almost reminded of a more grown up version of Evie’s room without all the pink. The bed was huge and looked rather comfortable. Changing into some pajamas, he waited for Regina to come out of the bathroom. She was in blue silk PJs, still looking as beautiful as ever. She climbed under the covers, raising an eyebrow as he lingered.

 

“You a horse?”

“Huh?”

“Do you sleep standing up?”

“Oh.” Suddenly, the horse quip made sense and he chuckled. “I just didn’t want to be intrusive.”

“I don’t bite, I promise.”

 

Slowly, he walked over and got under the covers. Their kiss from earlier that day replayed in his mind, yet he knew there couldn’t be a repeat.

 

“I like the room,” he said.

“If there are any changes you’d like to see…this is your house now too.”

“No, you did a good job decorating. I wouldn’t know much about that anyway. Marian designed our home and then Mary Margaret helped me with Bryony’s room when she came about. Besides, it’s comfortable.”

 

She smiled a bit as her stomach did summersaults. She hadn’t shared a bed with a man since Daniel. Sure, she wasn’t a monk, she had been with people, but never had they stayed the night. This was the first time in a long time, that she’d just be laying with someone. It was scary…yet, exciting.

 

“Goodnight,” she whispered.

“Night,” he said.

 

She shut off her lamp and crawled down under the covers, hugging them closely. He did the same with his own, both slowly drifting off to sleep. However, in the middle of the night, she rolled over in her sleep and out of instinct, his warm arms wrapped tightly around her. It was a good thing neither was awake, because they would’ve for sure pulled away. Their subconscious, however, didn’t seem to mind.


	7. The Aquarium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long and this is too damn short, but better than nothing right?
> 
> Next chapter shows Regina and Bryony...gonna be a bit more angsty...

**_Then_ **

They were minor things he noticed at first. The fact that she has brown eyes rather than blue or green like he expected. Her hair isn’t red or blonde, it’s brown. No, it’s raven black. She doesn’t resemble him in the slightest, nor does she Zelena.

 

“Is she really mine?” Robin asked when she was 6 months old and they were at the court for Zelena to sign away her rights.

Zelena raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Is she mine?”

“How can you ask me such a thing?”

“Because she doesn’t look a damn thing like me.”

 

He watched as Zelena peered into the car seat, setting eyes on the child for the first time since she left the hospital. He could see a flicker of doubt go across her eyes and what he can’t tell, is that she was noticing how different that baby looked from the one she had held briefly in the hospital. Instead, she blinked and looked up at him.

 

“She’s yours.”

“Really? Because your eyes say different.”

“My eyes say that I’m done with this conversation, Robin. She’s yours. Don’t believe me, get a DNA test.”

 

With that, Zelena signed the papers and walked out of the room. Robin lifted the baby girl into his arms, staring deeply into her eyes-those eyes that looked intently up at him. She smiled and it set his heart on fire. She was his daughter, that much he knew.

 

Even if they didn’t share the same blood.

 

**_Now_ **

Robin sat at the table, across from Evie, watching her intently. If he had to picture a child to look like him, she would be it. Roland favored Marian in terms of looks and he had expected that, from before he was even born. Her mother had once made a snide comment _“You don’t expect him to look like you, do you?”_ And he hadn’t. He had looked forward to the little baby that would favor his wife’s beautiful looks. It was what got him through the hard times.

 

Evie, though…she had bits of her that reminded him of his own mother. From her blonde hair to her nose. He didn’t have very many memories of her, but she was beautiful. When Bryony had come along and looked nothing like him (while also resembling nothing of Zelena), he hadn’t been disappointed. She was beautiful, in each and every way.

 

Sitting next to Evie, was the person from which she inherited such beauty. There was no doubting that Regina was beautiful. She took very good care of herself and he found it hard to believe that she had birthed two children. Just as Evie looked like him, he found that Bryony looked so much like her. They were like twins almost.

 

They had fallen into a routine with the kids, but things were a bit awkward. While Bryony and Roland had taken to Regina doing things for them, Evie was a bit more hesitant when it came to Robin. She asked her mother if she needed help with something. If he dared to kneel beside her while she played, she’d distance herself. He understood, he wasn’t angry.

 

It still hurt.

 

“So,” Regina said, breaking the silence of everyone eating. She smiled briefly at Robin and he returned it. They had been sharing a bed for two weeks and every morning, seemed to wake up in the same position, tangled up in each other’s arms. They didn’t talk about it. They just smiled. “Today, we’re going to be doing things a little differently.”

“What do you mean?” Roland asked.

“Well, you and Bryony are going to come with me to the movies. Henry and Evie are going to head to the aquarium.”

Evie’s face scrunched up. “Mommy…”

“But then we’ll all meet up for lunch,” Regina continued, giving her daughter a small look. “Does that sound good?”

Bryony nodded excitedly. “Can we get popcorn?”

“I don’t see why not.”

 

Once breakfast was finished, Evie and Bryony went into the living room to play together. So far, they were the ones that weren’t struggling. Robin wondered if it was like an extended playdate for them. They shared their toys, but didn’t really speak much. Robin did notice that Evie was copying Bryony’s sign language, almost as if she was picking it up herself.

 

Roland and Henry headed off to get ready, leaving the adults to clean up the kitchen. “Are you sure this going to work out?” Robin asked. “I mean…maybe I should just hang out with Henry.”

Regina snorted. “Seriously?”

“He likes me and he’s not…afraid of me.”

“Evie isn’t afraid of you. It’s just so new.”

“She looked like the thought of hanging out with me was the least appealing idea to her.”

“It’ll be fine.” Regina took his hand. “You’re going to be fine.”

Robin sighed. “I hope so.”

“You don’t think I’m nervous? Right now, Bryony just looks at me like this friend, maybe a nanny.”

“Regina…”

“And that’s okay. I just…don’t know where the line is.”

“We agreed, we just have to act natural. Parent them how we would our other kids.”

Regina tilted her head. “You’re comfortable with that?”

“I guess I’m going to have to be.”

* * *

 

The ride to the aquarium was quiet and Robin worried that would set the stage for the rest of the day. When they got there, however, Evie started asking Henry to describe each and every exhibit that they saw. Robin smiled as the two chatted. Their dynamic was so interesting in his eyes, it differed so much from Bryony and Roland’s. There was a bigger age gap and Evie looked up to her brother as if he was all knowing. Robin found that he was the quiet one, until they reached the touch and feel room. Henry glanced over at Robin and grinned.

 

“Um, I think I need to use the restroom.”

“Oh, I saw one right back through there. Do you want…”

“I’m 10, I can handle it.”

 

With that, he walked off, leaving Robin and Evie alone. The aquarium was pretty quiet for a Saturday afternoon, so there were only a few kids by the tank, feeling the sting rays and starfish. Evie slowly floated towards the tank, but clearly couldn’t reach up to touch. Robin walked behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and turned around.

 

“Do you want a boost?”

 

Evie hesitated, then nodded. He lifted her into his arms for the first time since he met her and crouched down so she could feel the animals. She was stiff in his arms for a minute, but then slowly started to relax. He carefully sniffed the top of her head, just as he did Bryony or Roland. Even as a toddler, she still had that sweet baby smell. She was tiny, smaller than Bryony was.

 

His mind flashed back to the nursery, when he had held Bryony. There had been a baby beside her, another girl. He had been in that nursery for hours, but no one came to get her at first. According to the nurse, her mom was in surgery. He felt bad, she was only held whenever she needed a feeding or a change by the nurse. There were other babies in the nursery, but his mind had gone to that one.

 

Had that been Evie? Had he been that close to his daughter all that time and had no idea?

 

“They feel weird,” Evie said, when her fingers got to the sting ray. “Slimy.”

“I suppose they do.”

“Do you like them?”

“Um, I’m not much of a water animal guy. I prefer monkeys and lions.”

“Like Simba?” She looked up at him with her eyes shining, for the first time since they met.

He smiled. “Yeah, like Simba.”

“Henry loves the Lion King. Sometimes he holds me over the couch like I’m Simba.”

“That sounds like fun. Maybe I could try it sometime.”

She gnawed on her lip for a minute. “I don’t think Henry could lift you up.”

Robin snorted. “I meant, I could lift you up like that.”

“Oh.” A pause. “Maybe.”

 

It wasn’t a no and he’d take it.


	8. Rolling With The Punches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hey, it's been a minute. I was honestly trying to figure out how to transition from the drama surrounding the girls adjusting to their parents to the issues that will come with Robin. I hope you all like it. The next chapter will take place a little before the Mother's Day future shot in "Robin's Revenge" and hopefully everything will make sense.

The movie went great for Regina, Bryony and Roland. They sat together, laughing at the latest Pixar creation. Bryony seemed to be able to follow it just fine with her hearing aid turned up. She only had to ask Regina what was said a couple of times, which surprised her. As soon as the movie let out, she texted Robin asking how things were going. He said that they were still only three quarters of the way done with the aquarium and that they needed some more time before they could meet up. Regina decided to take the little ones with her to the park near the theater.

 

She learned that Bryony liked the slides the best. Luckily, the park wasn’t too crowded, so she could go down as much as she wanted. Roland ran into a friend of his, playing with him in the play structure. The friend’s mom approached Regina, a small smile on her face.

  
“You must be Regina, Robin’s wife.”

That title was still hard to adjust to. Regina nodded. “Yes.”

“I’m Aurora, that’s P.J.” She pointed over to the red head that was playing with Roland. “Where’s Robin?”

“We decided to split up the kids, get to know them individually.”

“I can’t imagine going through what you two are. I don’t know what Mulan and I would do.”

“You just have to do what’s best for the kids.”

“But does it change how you feel about your other daughter? I mean, Bryony is your flesh and blood. If none of this had happened, you never would’ve met…Eva, Robin said her name was?”

“Evie,” Regina corrected, folding her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. “Short for Evangeline. And I…I wouldn’t trade either of my daughters for the world.”

“You’re a better person than I. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to forgive the nurse that screwed up on that one.”

 

Regina had nearly forgotten the story they had told other people. They didn’t want Bryony to ever find out that it had been Cora or the why, so they had played it off as a hospital error. It wasn’t that hard to believe. Zelena had sent her baby straight to the nursery and Regina was having surgery. It was hours before the children would be reunited with the parents who would raise them.

 

Would Regina ever forgive her mother for this? Was it right that she was angry with her? Aurora was right. If Cora had never stepped in, she would’ve raised Bryony from birth. She never would’ve missed a second. Maybe there would’ve been other choices that would’ve been made.

 

Yet, she never would’ve gotten Evie. How could she be so angry, while also not wanting to change how things turned out?

 

She was quiet for the rest of the night, only asking Evie and Henry how their day with Robin was. She was happy to see that Evie was getting closer to Robin. They definitely weren’t anywhere close to being true father and daughter yet, but she actually spoke to him and sat next to him at the diner. Bryony and Roland chatted as well, wanting to fill their father in on everything they had done.

 

Robin apparently noticed, because once Roland, Bryony and Evie had gone to bed and Henry went to play video games, he brought it up.

 

“You want to spill why you’re so quiet? Did something happen at the movies?”

“No. At the park, we ran into P.J and his mom.”

Robin let out a sigh. “What’d Aurora say? She’s kind of known for having zero filter.”

“It’s nothing.” He gave her a pointed look. “I just…she brought up how forgiving I seem to be about the whole situation and I’m not. I’m so pissed with Cora.”

“So am I. That’s normal.”

“But if I could turn back time, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t change having Evie in my life.”

Robin frowned. “Well…I suppose I wouldn’t change anything either.”

“But is that, right? The fact that we’re so affected by the switch and yet we wouldn’t go back and change anything?”

“I think it makes us human and good parents. We love our daughters, but we acknowledge that the way we got them was fucked up.”

Regina sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “I guess.”

“It’s okay to feel both ways, like I said, I do too.”

“It helps having someone that gets it. I mean, Mal is a mom…”

“But she’ll never understand this.”

 

There was another beat of silence as he poured them some tea.

 

“So, when did Evie lose all the hearing in her left ear?” She asked. “You said she was born with it reduced.”

“According to tests, when she was a little over a year old.”

“And you never…you never considered the cochlear implant?” Robin gave her an odd look. “I did some research into it.”

“Then you know it’s costly and there’s a chance that it won’t work.”

“Of course.” She could see the defensiveness and anger in his eyes. “I wasn’t suggesting we do it. I just…wondered if you wanted to back then.”

“I looked into all the options and they said if I was ever going to, I should before it affected her speech entirely. While it’d potentially make things easier…I just didn’t think it would be worth it. I didn’t want to change a part of her that made her, her.”

 

Regina felt a strange sense of pride in the pit of her stomach. She had come to the same conclusion and probably would’ve back then, but there was no way that Cora would’ve. She would’ve insisted on the cochlear, she probably would’ve talked Regina into it. Robin had embraced who his daughter was, he didn’t want to change her.

 

“Besides,” Robin continued. “It’s not something that should be my choice or yours. If Bryony got older and wanted to get it, then it’d be a discussion.”

“I agree.”

“I’ve never wanted to act like it’s something she needs to be ashamed of, it’s why I chose that pre-school for her. There are other kids like her there and I’ve looked into schools that have similar programs.”

“You really embraced this.”

“It was that or go into it ignorant. You’d be surprised how many parents at the school are like it. There’s one mom that won’t even learn sign language and her child is a hundred percent deaf.”

Regina winced. “She sounds like Cora.”

“Probably.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “The way I look at it, these kids are going to face enough adversity in their lives…why start it at home?”

“You’re right.” Regina took his hand. “You’re a good dad, you know?”

Robin softly smiled. “You’re a good mom. Evie and Henry are really smart. I feel like they taught me stuff at the aquarium.”

Regina laughed. “Henry’s the type of kid to pick up a subject and not let it go. I think he rubbed off on Evie. Not necessarily a bad thing.”

“She doesn’t seem to hate me anymore.”

“She never hated you. It’s just new. We talk about how hard all of this is on us, but can you imagine them? Evie’s gone her whole life without a dad, Bryony’s gone hers without a mom. Suddenly this is all thrown at them and they barely have time to process it.”

“They can never know the full truth, can they?”

Regina shook her head. “It’s not even to protect Cora, it’s to protect Bryony. I never want her to feel how I did growing up. Nothing I ever did was good enough, I had to measure up to her. It’d be even worse, feeling like she has to compete with a ghost.”

Robin shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“What were yours like? You never talk about them.”

 

Robin looked away and Regina worried she had crossed a line, but eventually, he pulled out a picture from his wallet. It was faded polaroid, turning a bit yellow in the frayed white corners. There was a woman that looked near identical to Evie and a man that shared a lot of Robin’s features.

 

“They died when I was 10,” he explained.

“Oh, Robin…”

“Please don’t say sorry, everyone says that.”

“I won’t. I just…” She shook her head. “I can’t imagine being that young.”

“I didn’t have any family, so I ended up in the system. No one wants a 10 year old, I guess, so I bounced around a bit until I was 16 and ran away.”

Regina shut her eyes, trying to not imagine a young Robin living on the streets. It was too painful. “You were on your own?”

“Just until I met Marian. She made everything right again.”

She smiled a little. “The people you love can do that.”

“Anyway, my father’s name was Aslan. My mother’s was Kate.”

“You named Bryony after her?”

Robin nodded. “I was going to name her Isabelle Kate, that was what Marian and I had picked out for a little girl. It didn’t seem right, though. She wasn’t Marian’s…she needed a name all her own.”

“I understand. Besides, she doesn’t exactly seem an Isabelle.”

He chuckled. “She doesn’t, does she? It’s weird to think that she could’ve been Evie.”

“That definitely wouldn’t fit.”

“And I can’t see Evie as a “Bryony” either.”

 

He looked behind Regina, towards the fridge. A picture of Henry and Evie hung there, the two were smiling and wearing matching outfits.

  
“Maybe this wasn’t fate or destiny, but…it was just supposed to be how things worked out. You were supposed to raise my daughter for the first few years, while I had yours. Maybe we were supposed to meet for a reason.”

Regina arched an eyebrow. “You really think that?”

“I have to. There has to be a good reason for all of this outside Cora being vindictive.”

“It’d certainly make it easier for me to sleep at night.”

“Maybe we’re not supposed to think about it. Cora did what she did and we’re in our situation. If we keep going into the whys or the guilt, it’s only going to make us feel worse. We’re a family now…it’s all going to work out.”

“It’s just hard to rationalize.”

“So don’t try to. Don’t try to plan it out. Let’s just go with it, there’s nothing we can do.”

 

Robin clearly didn’t know her that well. All of Regina’s life had been planned out, ever since Daniel died. She didn’t schedule in time to get her life flipped upside down, not since her wedding night. She never wanted to be hurt like that again.

 

That was the thing about events like that, though. A person couldn’t plan for them. If they could, they’d choose not to do it in the first place.

 

She was a perfectionist, but if any of it was going to work, she’d have to let go a bit. She had to roll with the punches. She had figured it out once, she could do it again.

 

Regina raised her mug. “To rolling with the punches.”

“To rolling with the punches.”

 

Their mugs clashed together and they stared into each other’s eyes. Robin could tell that she was still trying to figure out the future. He knew that neither of them could predict what the next few months would hold for them.

 

They’d spend them trying to become a family. They’d spend them getting to know the children they didn’t know were out there, along with the boys that came along with the package of their new family. Bryony would get closer to her mother and Evie would adjust to having a father in her life period. Henry would find himself going to Robin for advice, especially when he got his first crush around Valentine’s Day. Roland would ask Regina to help him with his project for his first Science Fair entry. The girls would get closer, even referring to one another as sisters. Robin and Regina would find them sneaking into each other’s room to share a bed.

 

But what they couldn’t see happening was the night that they would spend together…or the major fight that would ensue.


	9. Date Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been awhile, I'm sorry. I've just been so blocked on this. Let's hope the next update doesn't take months.

Regina had adjusted to her new life, that sleeping beside Robin was no longer awkward. It was just a part of life. There was the attraction she felt for him, but somehow that didn’t make things any worse between the two of them. She knew that it was purely physical, he was a good looking man. They could lay side by side, him snoring most nights, and it wasn’t an issue.

 

One night in April ended up changing all of that for them.

 

It started out innocent enough. They woke up and went through their routine, same as normal. While he showered, she brushed her teeth and made sure the kids were getting up and getting themselves ready. Then they’d switch and he’d help the girls as needed, reminding the boys about backpacks and homework. The end of the process landed the six of them around the kitchen table, enjoying breakfast together while they made plans for the day.

 

Once the kids had left in their various carpools, the two of them were left alone. Robin pulled on his jacket while Regina slid her feet into black heels. They were almost perfectly in synch after all that time.

 

“So,” he said. “You don’t have any functions tomorrow do you?”

“Nope. The wedding I’m planning isn’t until next week.”

“Great, and the kids are spending the night at Mal’s.”

Regina tilted her head. “Yeah, they are.”

“Well, Will and Anastasia are engaged. I’ve decided that I want to throw them an engagement party at the bar. Maybe you could come, as my plus one.”

Regina wiggled her eyebrows. “Robin, are you asking me on a date?”

Robin laughed, shaking his head. “A bit awkward considering we’re married, but yes. It doesn’t have to mean anything, I just figured this is something that husbands and wives do, right? They attend their friends’ parties together.”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been married.”

“Right, well, it’s what they do.”

She laughed. “Of course. Do you need any help with the party?”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure that Mary Margaret and David have it all under control. I would’ve asked you, since you’re an event planner and all, but I figured you were busy.”

“It’s fine. It might be nice to actually attend a party where I didn’t have to worry about catering menus or paying the band.”

That handsome smile went across Robin’s face once more, causing butterflies to fill Regina’s stomach. “It’s a date then.”

* * *

 

Robin slowly began to regret the choice to have the party at the bar. It made the most sense, saved money on a venue and no one’s house was big enough to fit everyone. Their friends would still buy drinks and such, but Robin still worried about this kind of stuff. Bars and restaurants easily went out of business in Storybrooke. Probably the longest running eatery in town was Granny’s Diner, and that was only because Eugena Lucas was probably the only person the town’s landlord feared. Even so, David promised him that they would be fine. It was one Saturday of the entire month, and besides, most of the town would be coming anyways.

 

Most of the day was so busy, he almost forgot that he had asked Regina to be his date. He spent the early afternoon at the bar with the usual lunch crowd and then ushered the kids around town before dropping them off at Mal’s. She loved having them for sleepovers. Lily was getting too old and surly for her to have any fun with, so the Locksley-Mills children were a fun change of pace for her.

 

He headed back to the house and quickly showered, changing his clothes before heading downstairs and making a few calls to make sure the party went off without a hitch. Regina hadn’t entered his mind at all, until he heard her voice.

 

“We can’t be late, it’s a surprise isn’t it? We want to beat Will and Ana there.”

 

He looked up, watching as she walked into the kitchen. The sight of her nearly took his breath away. He had seen her dressed up before, but this was a little different. She wore a red dress, which proved to be backless when she turned to check her makeup in the mirror. As usual she was wearing heels to boost up her normally short stature, but tonight they seemed to accent her legs. How had he not noticed just how sexy they were before then?

 

Robin wasn’t blind, he was well aware of just how attractive Regina was. He’d be lying if he said that he hadn’t at all felt anything for her since their marriage of convenience seven months prior, but he shrugged it off to the fact that she really was just a great person. She was smart, witty, always had a comeback ready and above all, was an amazing mother. He had watched her stress over planning a huge wedding and coming home exhausted with clear intentions of soaking in the tub, but when Evie and Bryony had asked if she could have a tea party with them, she agreed almost instantly.

 

He was falling for her, right in that very moment, there was no denying it

 

Regina turned around to face him and obviously caught the look in his eye. “What is it? Is it too much?”

“It’s…it’s…” For the first time in a while, Robin found himself at a loss for words. He took a few steps forward. “It’s unfair, is what it is.”

Regina looked puzzled at that. “Unfair?”

“You look really sexy right now and I can’t do anything about it, because we have to leave for the party.”

 

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, he worried he had crossed the invisible line that they had set out. Sure, they were married, but it was clearly for convenience purposes only. They needed to be able to adopt the girls and it was the only way that they could get to know the biological daughter they had been separated from.

 

Yet, in that moment, he just wanted to be a normal husband and wife. The thought scared him to death. He had been on dates since Marian died, heck, he had even slept with someone else. This was different. This had the potential to be serious. If he and Regina ever did anything, it would change the course of their relationship forever. They wouldn’t just be co-parents anymore, husband and wife of convenience.

 

Before he could even try to take it back, Regina took hold of his hand, a smile on her own face. “Well,” she said. “There’s always after the party.”

* * *

 

Regina had come to really like Robin’s friends. Will could be a bit crude at times and he often spoke without thinking, but he was really funny. Anastasia was harder to read, but at the end of the day, no one could doubt that they were made for one another. The rest of the bar staff always treated her kindly and unsurprisingly due to their small town, most of the people Robin knew, she did as well.

 

Even so, she found herself so impatient that night. She wanted to take her husband home and fuck him so had.

 

Regina couldn’t believe that she was even thinking about him in that way. After he called her sexy, though, it was as if her eyes had opened. Of course she had feelings for Robin. He was sexy, intelligent and a tremendous father to boot. She realized she had fallen for him months earlier, around Valentine’s Day. Henry had been so nervous to talk to his crush and Robin walked him through it like a pro. Seeing how good he was, with a kid that he had only known for a short while, made her so happy. The sight of his smile brought butterflies to her stomach, as clichéd as it sounded.

 

Even that night at the party, she watched him make the rounds and she felt slightly jealous that she had to share him. It was the first time since they said “I do”, that she actually felt like a wife.

 

Was this what marriage was like? Watching your husband and counting down the minutes until you could have sex?

 

Thank God the kids were with Mal.

 

Regina ran her mind through the obvious things. She had been on the pill for years, ever since Evie was born. It regulated her period and for the rare date that she had, she wanted to stay safe. Both of her children had been planned and she didn’t have time for any “whoops” with a one night stand. She searched her mind, trying to think of who the last person had been, realizing it was probably Ursula Triton. That had been 5 months before she even found out about the switch. Robin had told her previously that he hadn’t been with anyone since Zelena.

 

The anticipation was killing her.

 

After the last non-employees had left the party, Regina and Robin stayed behind to help clean up. Once the busboys had assured them that they could handle the rest, they drove back to the house. It being quiet was so unusual. With four kids, their life was normally anything but.

 

They walked inside, standing in the dark foyer for a moment. Neither moved to turn on the lights and Regina still had her black clutch in between her fingers. The only source of brightness was the porchlight outside  Robin took a step closer to her, his hand grazing her back.

 

“I meant what I said about this dress being unfair,” he mused.

Regina softly smiled. “Do you want to do something about it?”

“I do…if you do.” He was quiet for a moment. “We’re husband and wife, this shouldn’t be so weird.”

“To be fair, this isn’t the most…traditional of marriages.”

“I guess it’s not.”

Regina brushed her fingers over his stubble. “I’ve wanted this. I wouldn’t let myself think about it…but I wanted it.”

“You should’ve said something.”

“And risk what we have?”

“I feel like we’re overthinking things.”

 

He cupped her cheek and kissed her, causing Regina to drop her clutch. The butterflies were replaced by a warm tingly feeling, almost as if she were merely getting wet by his tongue grazing her own. She wasn’t that easy…was she? No, no, she told herself. It had just been awhile and it was so long overdue…

 

Fuck, she didn’t want to think anymore.

 

By the time they pulled away for air, Regina was already leading the way up to the bedroom. Along the way, clothes were discarded along with any undergarments they had underneath. Regina took in Robin’s body once they reached the bedroom. She had seen him without a shirt before, but never his lower half. He was already hard, his cock quite large.

 

“Someone’s eager,” she whispered.

Robin grinned, taking her in as well. “Those breasts.”

 

He took a step forward, cupping them in his hands. Robin began kissing her neck, somehow finding her sweet spot within moments. Regina let out a soft moan, tilting her head back. His hands traveled lower, locating her own downstairs department. It had been a busy couple of days and she hadn’t had the time to shave, so there was a little fuzz. If Robin minded, he didn’t say anything. His fingers pulled onto the bits, causing her to let out another moan.

 

“Protection,” he mumbled, half-heartedly.

“On the pill.”

 

That was all he needed to pull her into his arms and lay her backwards on the bed. There would be no staying on their respective sides that night, she was placed right in the middle. Robin leaned down, acting like he was learning a new trades. He kissed various parts of her body, trying to find what made her moan the hardest. His fingers slipped inside her clit and he was gentle, aware of the lack of lubricant to protect her. Even so, she could feel herself becoming wetter by the moment. She easily could’ve orgasmed to that alone, but she didn’t want to.

 

“Robin,” she gasped, as his fingers went a bit deeper.

“Mmm…”

“As much as I love that, I don’t want our first time to be me coming all over your fingers.”

He chuckled, pulling out and carding his clean hand through her hair. “Oh? What is it you want?”

Regina decided to take charge, leaning up and grabbing hold of him by the waist. “You know exactly what I want, so you better give it to me. From the looks of it, your cock is ready as well.”

A smirk tugged across Robin’s lips, knowing full and well that his erection was waiting on them. “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”

 

Robin straddled her and once he was inside, she knew she couldn’t be on the bottom anymore. With a little force, he got the message to pull out and roll over, so she could ride him as she wanted. Her fingers gripped onto his dirty blonde hair, staring down into his deep blue eyes. He was moaning all the while, she could swear he’d whimper a bit whenever she pulled away from him. The sound made her chuckle, as she leaned down to graze his lips with a kiss.

 

They lasted for longer than she originally imagined, despite how ready they had felt before. She realized that some things simply couldn’t be rushed. The end result was worth it, feeling him come inside of her and the orgasm that followed was truly wonderful. She wouldn’t be able to walk the best the next day, but it would definitely be worth it.

 

Laying beside him, Robin wrapped his arms around her. For the past 7 months, they had fallen asleep on their respective sides of the bed and yet always wound up tangled up together the following morning. Both blamed it on the fact that that they moved in their sleep. Tonight was different, they chose to cuddle up in one another’s arms before they did. As she looked up at the man she had just had sex with, Regina realized that she loved Robin Locksley. It was too soon to say it, but fuck it if it wasn’t true.

 

She fell asleep in a man’s arms for the first time since Daniel died. No other person, man or woman, had ever actually spent the night nor had she at their place. That was intimate to her. Doing it with Robin, it just felt right.

 

Little did she realize, Robin was not falling asleep that easily. He held her in his arms, watching as she drifted off. While she felt pure bliss, he suddenly felt very scared. He too had come to the realization that he was falling in love with Regina Mills.

 

He had only ever been in love once before, that was with Marian. Her death had left him shaken. Despite the warnings from the doctors and their several discussions over the what ifs, the event itself had been enough to traumatize Robin. In one moment, they were celebrating the birth of their beautiful baby boy. In the next, Marian was gone. There had been no time for infamous last words, no goodbyes or “I love you”s were exchanged. No, she had a seizure and he was rushed out of the room with the baby. Within a half hour, he got the news. They had done all they could, but there was no saving her.

 

Robin gained a son, but lost his wife. He did his best to keep it together. He put himself last for a very long time, to the point that his health was compromised. He learned how to ask for help, he learned that he could feel whole again. Losing his parents had been hard and at the time, he thought it’d possibly be the hardest thing he’d go through. In the end, it had been losing Marian that destroyed him

 

“What have I done,” he muttered to himself as he watched Regina sleep. He had allowed his emotions to get the best of him, he was falling for her and that was dangerous. What if he committed his heart and then he lost her? What if she left him in the same way that Marian had?

 

Robin couldn’t give his heart to Regina. Not because it still belonged to Marian, but because of what she represented. He couldn’t let his heart go through that pain again. Marian had been the last loss he could possibly suffer and he’d cling to her if it meant no more pain.

 

“I am so sorry, Regina,” Robin whispered.

He kissed her forehead before climbing out of bed. Pulling on some pajamas, he tidied up the stairs and left a note for her, letting her know that he’d pick up the kids in the morning. He spent the rest of the night, trying to fall asleep on the couch, but by the time he left for Mal’s, there were bags under his eyes. They symbolized both his lack of sleep and his guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this hurts, but I promise, OQ is endgame. They just need to get through some stuff first.
> 
> Questions for me or the characters? Prompts? Send them to my Tumblr (findingtallahassee) or my Twitter/CuriousCat (justanoutlawfic).


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